You might not be familiar with Carla Hassett, but you've probably heard her voice. Her singing has been featured in many films, including Rio and Rio 2. Carla was born in Brazil but raised in America. Her home was filled with the music of Brazil, but she was also raised on the Pop music of the 70s and the New Wave music of the eighties. She studied guitar and piano and was writing her own songs at a very early age. She began performing professionally at the age of 19 and, soon after, found herself touring with acts as diverse as Sergio Mendes and Billy Idol. Carla's been recording for a number of years, now, with one of her best known tracks, in this country, being her duet with Faith No More's Mike Patton on a Samba cover of the Beatles "Julia" (in Brazil, the fave is Carla's original "Teu Olhar"). Writing original music is a very big part of Carla's craft.
Listening to Carla is an experience unlike any other. Her influences are many and varied and you'll hear all of them, sooner or later...a bit of Latin Jazz, a bit of Motown, some contemporary Pop, a smidge of Alt Rock, some R&B, Funk, and Blues, and (of course) Samba.
So when I see a notice like this on Twitter:
Excited as I may be, I should tell you that we're unlikely to get a full holiday album from Carla this year. Her current full-length project is "Blue", for which she's just launched a Kickstarter campaign and that is the Carla Hassett album you can expect to see before the end of the year. So whether she's cutting a Christmas track or two for an upcoming compilation, a seasonal single, or for a full-length Christmas album next year...we don't have an answer to that question just yet. But you can bet I'll be looking for holiday music from Carla, wherever and whenever it turns up. Follow along with me via Carla's web site or Facebook.
And, anyway, this teaser for "Blue" sounds spectacular!